Pre-fabricated floors and subfloors for permanent use in various kinds of buildings, including dwellings, industrial and office buildings, agricultural structures and others, are known. Generally, such systems comprise a supporting framework and an overlying floor material such as a plurality of panels or sheet material. Individual panels or floor material may be attached to the framework by various means.
Portable flooring such as portable stage flooring or false floors for providing space for conduits in buildings are known as well. This type of floor generally includes a framework for supporting moveable individual panels. The panels may have an edge adapted to be fitted with other abutting panel edges or with the supporting framework. Such floor systems may find particular applicability in temporary buildings such as on-site construction offices or other temporary structures. Additionally, such systems may be used as temporary floors in buildings under construction.
There are some problems which have not been completely addressed by existing flooring systems. One such problem is that it has been difficult to ensure that the upper surface of the plurality of panels comprising the floor or subfloor surface remains in horizontal alignment. Another problem is that it is difficult to maintain standardization of the various components comprising a floor system. For example, typical milled lumber has nominal dimensions only and there is always some variation. Builders frequently have to resort to shims or other devices to level the floor supports relative to one another or to level the floor panels with respect to one another and with respect to the supporting framework.
Another problem is that when a flooring surface is provided by a plurality of adjacent panels with abutting edges, the individual panels may deflect or be depressed relative to one another as weight is put on them. Again, traditionally, shims or fasteners have been used to control the deflection, but shims frequently require much time or effort to install, expending expensive manhours and increasing construction costs. A related problem is that with the passage of time, the shims may work free, generating expensive remedial work.
Clearly, there remains the need for a safe, durable and strong flooring system that substantially reduces cost of flooring, minimizes deflection in the floor system, yet is simple and cost effective to manufacture and install.